"If I could take it all back I would, but I can't," Clarke told relatives of the child. "And now I must face the consequences."

Clarke sat quietly, sometimes wiping his eyes, as relatives of 8-month-old Mark Ward and his own family testified in front of Circuit Judge Donald Jacobsen.

Brigit Ward, the grandmother of the child and Clarke's mother-in-law, urged Jacobsen to give Clarke the maximum 40-year sentence available under his plea agreement.

She called Clarke a "devil," and told Jacobsen she'd rather Clarke face death.

"Evil has many faces, one of which is Ryan Clarke," she told the judge.

Before Brigit Ward finished, she looked at Clarke, who was seated nearby. "May the death of (Ward) haunt Clarke through all eternity."

Clarke, 32, of Orlando, pleaded guilty in August to aggravated child abuse and second-degree murder. Police said he was baby-sitting the child at his mother-in-law's Lakeland home on March 6, 2010, when he banged the child's head against a wall.

He told detectives he lost control when the child was crying and had also been stressed about his relationship with the child's mother, Rian Basarich.

Jacobsen could have sentenced Clarke to as few as 30 years in prison in the death. In addition to the murder sentence, he also sentenced him to 30 years for aggravated child abuse, which will run concurrently with his murder sentence.

Before announcing his decision, Jacobsen said the aspect of the death that most concerned him was what Clarke did after injuring the child.

"And that is — nothing," he said. "Nothing being done to take care of the child, that's the thing that is most bothersome to me."

The moment Jacobsen announced the sentence, a group of the child's relatives cheered. Jacobsen quickly silenced them. Clarke's father, who was seated behind them, wept.

Clarke's friends spoke on his behalf, describing his life before he met Basarich. In high school, classmates knew him as a gifted guitarist. He studied art after graduating and eventually earned a psychology degree.

His former wife told Jacobsen that since Clarke's arrest, he has had thoughts of starting a Christian rock band.

Clarke told the judge he was adopted in South Korea and grew up in Minnesota with a loving family.

After a first marriage ended, he met Basarich online. Their relationship grew and, when he finally met her in person, she was five months pregnant with another man's child.

"I know you may not believe me, but I loved Mark as well. I loved to take care of him," he told the child's relatives. "He was never a burden to me, always a blessing. I was proud to be there when he was born."

Curtis Cassidy, a psychiatrist who evaluated Clarke after his arrest, said that Clarke had a "major depression disorder" because of his relationship with his wife. What he did to the child was "redirected anger" at her.

While awaiting his sentencing, Clarke has mentored other inmates, some of whom seek comfort because of their own sentences, usually much shorter than what Clarke stood to receive, Linda Day told the judge.

<p>BARTOW | A judge sentenced Ryan Clarke to 40 years in prison Thursday for killing his infant stepson in 2010, a decision that followed an emotional hearing in which the stepfather apologized.</p><p>"If I could take it all back I would, but I can't," Clarke told relatives of the child. "And now I must face the consequences."</p><p>Clarke sat quietly, sometimes wiping his eyes, as relatives of 8-month-old Mark Ward and his own family testified in front of Circuit Judge Donald Jacobsen.</p><p>Brigit Ward, the grandmother of the child and Clarke's mother-in-law, urged Jacobsen to give Clarke the maximum 40-year sentence available under his plea agreement.</p><p>She called Clarke a "devil," and told Jacobsen she'd rather Clarke face death.</p><p>"Evil has many faces, one of which is Ryan Clarke," she told the judge.</p><p>Before Brigit Ward finished, she looked at Clarke, who was seated nearby. "May the death of (Ward) haunt Clarke through all eternity."</p><p>Clarke, 32, of Orlando, pleaded guilty in August to aggravated child abuse and second-degree murder. Police said he was baby-sitting the child at his mother-in-law's Lakeland home on March 6, 2010, when he banged the child's head against a wall.</p><p>He told detectives he lost control when the child was crying and had also been stressed about his relationship with the child's mother, Rian Basarich.</p><p>Jacobsen could have sentenced Clarke to as few as 30 years in prison in the death. In addition to the murder sentence, he also sentenced him to 30 years for aggravated child abuse, which will run concurrently with his murder sentence.</p><p>Before announcing his decision, Jacobsen said the aspect of the death that most concerned him was what Clarke did after injuring the child.</p><p>"And that is — nothing," he said. "Nothing being done to take care of the child, that's the thing that is most bothersome to me."</p><p>The moment Jacobsen announced the sentence, a group of the child's relatives cheered. Jacobsen quickly silenced them. Clarke's father, who was seated behind them, wept.</p><p>Clarke's friends spoke on his behalf, describing his life before he met Basarich. In high school, classmates knew him as a gifted guitarist. He studied art after graduating and eventually earned a psychology degree.</p><p>His former wife told Jacobsen that since Clarke's arrest, he has had thoughts of starting a Christian rock band.</p><p>Clarke told the judge he was adopted in South Korea and grew up in Minnesota with a loving family.</p><p>After a first marriage ended, he met Basarich online. Their relationship grew and, when he finally met her in person, she was five months pregnant with another man's child.</p><p>"I know you may not believe me, but I loved Mark as well. I loved to take care of him," he told the child's relatives. "He was never a burden to me, always a blessing. I was proud to be there when he was born."</p><p>Curtis Cassidy, a psychiatrist who evaluated Clarke after his arrest, said that Clarke had a "major depression disorder" because of his relationship with his wife. What he did to the child was "redirected anger" at her.</p><p>While awaiting his sentencing, Clarke has mentored other inmates, some of whom seek comfort because of their own sentences, usually much shorter than what Clarke stood to receive, Linda Day told the judge.</p><p>"He doesn't even tell them what he's facing," she said.</p><p> </p><p>[ Reach Matthew Pleasant at matthew.pleasant@theledger.com or 863-802-7590. ]</p>